Blower



Nov. 21, 1939. J E, WHITFIELD 2,180,377

BLOWER Filed April 24, 1956 3 Sheet s-Sheet l g INVE TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Nov. 21, 1939. J. E. WHITFIELD BLOWER Filed April 24, 1 956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 21, 1939. J E w rr E n 2,180,377

BLOWER Filed April 24, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 [iii 2 M2! [2 9 22 I 26 I 2 INVENTORL} z /7 l6 /6 25 y I ATTORNEYS I Patented Nov. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLOWER Joseph E..Whitfield, Grove City, Pa.

Application April 24, 1936, Serial No. 76,20?

Claims. (01. 230-150) This invention is directed to blowers of the Gate pockets iii are formed in the shell l3 and type involving a positive displacement. In some gates I! are arranged in these pockets. Each respects the present invention is an improvement gate I1 is provided with two abutment grooves on the structure illustrated in my application l8. The surfaces I9 are generated to maintain 5 Serial No. 29,525 filed July 2, 1935 and issued as a closure with the abutment during the passage Patent No. 2,130,054, September 13, 1938. In the of the abutment through the gate.

structure of the former application the discharge Trunnions 20, Fig. 8, are provided for each from and intake to the blower was intermittent gate. Plates 2| are secured to the ends of the making very violent pulsations, reducing its efgates and the trunnions 20 extend from these 1.) flciency and'creating an undesirable noise. In plates. The trunnion 22 at one end of each gate 19 the present invention the .discharge from and operates in a roller bearing 23 carried by cover intake to the blower is constant with a greater plate 2. The trunnion at the opposite end of the efficiency and quietness of operation. A further gate is carried by a ball bearing 24 arranged in improvement of the prior applicationis the arthe end plate 6 of the case. Plates 25 are ar- 5 rangement of ports through the rotor abutments. ranged at each of the sides of the plates 21 and Preferably this involves both inlet and exhaust sealing rings 26 are provided for the bearings. ports. It simplifies the structure, increases the A gear 28 is fixed by key 21 on one of the trunport areas with relation to the compression nions of each gate, and the gears 28 mesh with a chambers, and consequently increases the efiigear 29 which is fixed on the drive shaft by a ciency. Further features and details will appear key 30. The abutments H are hollow and close from the specification and claims. compartments 3| and 32 separated by a solid wall A preferred embodiment of the invention is 33. The compartment 3| has an opening or port illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as 34 through a rear wall of the abutment, and

follows: the compartment 32 a port 35 through the front :5 Fig. 1 shows a central section through the dewall of the abutment, the ports 34 serving as sucvice on the line ll in Fig. 2. tion ports and the ports 35 as exhaust or dis- Fig. 2 a section on the line 22 in Fig. 1. charge ports. The intake 36 leads into the side Fig. 3 a section of one of the abutments on the of the case I and into the chamber 3'! between line 3-3 in Fig. 4. the outer wall of the case i and the shell I3.

Fig. 4 an elevation of the blower rotor de- This chamber 31 communicates through the pas- 3O tached. sages 38 between the flange l5 and end wall 6 Fig. 5 a section on the line 55 in Fig. l. of the case with a chamber 39 formed at one side Fig. 6 a section on the line 66 in Fig. 1. of the web 8 in the rotor. The chamber 39 com- Fig. 7 a section on the line 1-1 in Fig. 1. municates with the compartment or chamber 31 Fig. 8 a. section on the line 8-8 in Fig. 2. in the abutment so that air is taken in through I marks the case. This is open at one side the machine distributed around the shell and deand provided with a cover 2, this cover having livered through the port 34 to the rear side of a rotor closing flange 2a. which closes the case I. the abutment. This passage to the inside of the The opposite side of the case is provided with rotor through the one end of the abutment and 40 a cover 3. A drive shaft 4 is fixed with a rotor out the ports 34 is continuously open. This in- 4 hub 40. and the shaft is carried by ball bearings take may be termed the auxiliary intake. An 5 arranged in the end 8 of the case I, and the intake of greater capacity is provided by means roller hearing I mounted in the cover 2. The of a port 40 through the wall of the gate pocket rotor 8 is carried by central web 9 which is sein the shell. This port is open to th front cured to a flange ill on the hub 4a. This web groove l8 of the gate and deliversair by way of 5 separates the interior of the rotor into two comthe port 40, groove l8 to the rear of the abutpartments. Abutments ll extend'from the pement as the abutment advances from the gate rlpheral wall of the rotor 8 and the outer faces forming a suction area in front of the gate so l2 of these abutments form working closures that in this part of the movement of the abutwith the interior peripheral surfaces of the wall ment (see Fig. 2) air is delivered both through 50 I3 of the case I; this wall being connected with the port 34 and the port 40, thus giving a very the outer wall of the case by a web la. The rotor large intake capacity to the suction space. is sealed by rings l4 which are carried by a flange The discharge port 35 communicates by way l5 extending inwardly from the shell l3 and by of the chamber 32 with a chamber 4| within the the return flange 2a of the cover. rotor. The chamber 4| communicates with the 55 chamber 32 in the cover 2. A- passage 43 extends through the wall 24: (see Fig. 7) and communicates with a passage 44 in the case. The passage 44 has a discharge opening 45 through the shell.

It will be noted that this discharge system involving front port 35 through to the opening 45 is continuously open for the discharge of air.

In the structure here shown, the number of gates and the number of abutments vary, preferably the rotor being provided with a smaller number of abutments than there are gates. As

shown, the number of abutments, three, operate in four gates. From this it will be seen that during the momentary closure of one, of the ports (see lower left-hand gate of Fig. 5)Lthere is active discharge through the other abutments and that the degree of compression from these two abutments and the position of these two abutments during.their compression space varies, one abutment at the top of Fig. 5 having nearly closed its compression space while the abutment at the lower right hand side in Fig. 5

is advanced but a small portion of its travel in its compression space. Thus a discharge, practically continuous, is effected, and pulsations of air through the discharge passages thus practically eliminated and the efllciency -lost due to such pulsations also largely eliminated. The even discharge also reduces very much the noise produced by the blower. Similarly the intake operates practically continuously. During the momentary closure of the intake; ports on one abutment (see the lower right-hand abutment in Fig. 2), there is a free delivery of air to the other two intake spaces by way of the port 40' and groove l8 for the upper intake space and by way of the port 34 in theleft-hand intake space,

thence behind the lower left-hand abutment in Fig. 2. Thus without additional valves or additional valve closure spaces, almost continuous discharge and intake are provided for the compression and suction spaces at the front and rear of each abutment.

It will be noted that the closure groove 18 shall be shaped by generating a curve following the path of movement of the abutment so that there is a closure between the abutment and the walls of the groove throughout itsmovement, this closure being between convex and concave surfaces to more readily effect the closure and throughout a large part at least of the movement the closure being effected along more than one line of closure.

It will be noted that as the abutment enters the abutment groove I8 and continues its forward movement through the abutment groove the closure effected between the abutment and walls of the groove effectively separates the compression and intake portion of the compression space so that there is continued compression in front of the abutment and continued suction effect at the rear of the abutment. From this it follows that there is a continuous outflow from in front of the abutment and a continuous intake from the rear of the abutment.

I prefer to make all the closing surfaces operate in closing relation, but without actual contact. This is made possible by the ball bearings and gearing controlling the relation betweenthe closing surfaces.

What I claim as new is: 1. In a blower, the combination of a case; a

. rotor mounted in the case, said rotor being spaced from the case forming an enclosed space; a fluid driving abutment on the rotor closing and sweeping said case; a rotating gate across the space, said gate by its rotation passing the abutment ipast the gate; an exhaust port in the abutment continuously open for discharge; an inlet port in the gate; and means driving the gate and rotor in tiined relation.

2. In a blower, the combination of a case; a rotor mounted in the case, said rotor being spaced from the case forming an enclosed space; a fluid driving abutment on the rotor closing and sweeping said case; a rotating gate across the space,

said gate by its rotation passing the abutment past the gate; an exhaust port in the abutment continuously open for discharge; inlet ports in the gate and abutment; and means driving the gate and rotor in timed relation.

3. In a blower, the combination of a case having a double wall forming an inlet passage, the inner wall of said case having a gate socket therein with v the port through the gate; and means driving the gate and rotor in timed relation.

4. Ina blower, the combination of a case having a double.wa1l forming an inlet passage, the innerwall of said case having a gate socket therein with a. port leading from the inlet passage; a rotor mounted in the case, said rotor being spaced from the inner wall of the case and forming an enclosed space; a rotating gate across the'space arranged inlthe socket, said gate controlling the inlet port through the wall of the socket, said abutment having a continuously open exhaust port; and means driving the gate and rotor in timed relation. I

5. In a blower, the combination of a case having a double wall forming an inlet passage, the inner 'wall of said case having a gate socket therein with a port leading from the inlet pas! sage; a rotor mounted in the case, said rotor beingspaced from the inner wall of the case and forming an enclosed space; a rotating gate across the space arranged in the socket, said gate controlling the inlet port through the wall of the socket, said abutment having an exhaust port and inlet port supplementing the inlet port through the gate; and means driving the gate and rotor in timed relation.

JOSEPH E. WHITFIELD. 

